Could a common antidepressant help fight brain cancer?
NCT ID NCT05634707
First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 26 times
Summary
This early-phase trial tests whether adding fluoxetine (an antidepressant) to standard chemotherapy (temozolomide) can make the chemo work better against recurrent brain tumors. Ten adults with recurrent glioma will receive either fluoxetine plus chemo or chemo alone before surgery. The main goal is to see if fluoxetine increases stress in cell structures called lysosomes, which may help kill cancer cells. This is a very small, early study focused on biological changes, not yet on patient outcomes.
Disclaimer
Read more
Show less
This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for BRAIN TUMOR, RECURRENT are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Locations
-
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, 10016, United States
-
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford, California, 94305, United States
-
The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
-
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
San Diego, California, 90074-1539, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
fluoxetine (an antidepressant) combined with temozolomide (a chemotherapy drug)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to make standard chemotherapy more effective for recurrent brain tumors.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small trial with only 10 participants. It is designed to test a biological effect, not to prove the treatment works. The drug may not improve outcomes and could have side effects.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.